Hello All,

Please help.  During the 19th and early 20th
centuries there have been several accounts of 
swarms settling on the heads of horses and men.

Please read one such example:

During July of 1908, in  La Crosse, Wisconsin
Mr. Russell, who is bailiff in the circuit court, was 
on his way to visit a friend on the south side when
without warning a swarm of bees settled on his 
head and shoulders. Mr. Russell says that the 
swarm entirely covered his face and the upper
part of his body. He is an old bee man and knew 
just what to do in a predicament like this. He 
realized that if he tried to kill any of the bees or 
to brush the swarm off he would have received 
hundreds of stings. He took of his hat and held
it bottom up in front of him and the swarm settled 
in the enclosure. Then turning the hat with the 
inside away from him he gave a quick thrust and
the bees flew out, settling on a tree nearby. 
==end article==

Now perhaps Russell was going to visit a lady
friend, in which case he would have waxed his
mustache that many men sported in those days,
and re-greased his hair.  

I am investigating whether ingredients in 19th century 
mustache wax, hair lotion, hat or clothing care 
products or horse care products, perfumes
or leather conditioners may have served to act as 
a settling agent for swarms. 

I do not know what lotions may have been used
in those days so I am looking for leads for direction
of search, and suggestions for what was attracting 
swarms to the heads of horses and men.

Some examples:

Mustache Fixing Preparation ingredients:

Yellow beeswax, caster oil, venice turpentine,
ether extract of annatto, alkanet extract,
chlorophyll, glycerin, white castile soap,
bergamot oil, lavender oil, rose geranium oil, 
perfumes 

Petroleum Lotion for the Hair ingredients:

Alcohol, white deodorized petroleum,  
citronella essence, caster oil.

Thanks in advance!

Best Regards.
Joe Waggel
'Historical Honeybee Articles'
on Facebook

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